Put Vinegar in Your Laundry for Whiter, Softer, Stain-Free Clothes

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While vinegar is mainly used to create the perfect salad dressing or other delicious meals, it is so much more powerful. 

It can help kill bugs in your house, especially those pesky lanternflies. 

However, vinegar is also amazing for your laundry! Here are 5 vinegar laundry hacks to make your clothes soft, white, and clean. 

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Vinegar Laundry Hacks 

Here are a few of my favorite vinegar laundry hacks that are so easy to do! 

1. Remove Stains 

My grandma always used vinegar before detergent became so advanced. The best thing is that it still works!

Depending on how big your load or how bad the stains might be, simply put ½ cup to 1 cup of vinegar while washing your clothes. 

It can help remove red wine, oil, coffee spills, and more! 

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2. Cleaner Clothes 

One woman swears by this next technique. All you need to do is add ½ cup of vinegar and pair it with just 1 tablespoon of baking soda. 

Pour this alongside your detergent. However, you need to pour it halfway through the wash cycle. 

Your clothes will turn out to be softer and will feel like brand new clothes! This such an easy hack to have cleaner clothes. 

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3. Whiter Clothes 

I’ve heard this one before as I’m sure most have as well. If you pour some vinegar at the start of your wash with whites, they will get brighter and whiter. 

washing
image via Shutterstock

4. Softer Clothes 

You could even get rid of your fabric softener altogether and simply use vinegar because it’s that good. 

Vinegar will make your clothes softer after washing and drying them. It’s a cheaper solution if you can stand the smell when you pour it in! 

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5. No More Smelly Clothes 

Even though no one likes the smell of vinegar, it will even get rid of all the smelly clothes you have. 

Depending on how big your load is, use between ½ cup to 1 full cup of vinegar. 

Who knew vinegar had so many amazing benefits for your laundry! Next time you put in a batch, throw some vinegar in and be amazed. 

Who is going to try these amazing vinegar hacks? I know I will be! 

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55 comments on “Put Vinegar in Your Laundry for Whiter, Softer, Stain-Free Clothes”

  1. David, Hilda Pallett

    Amazing! Everyone of these vinegar aids, as a child growing up, I saw my mother practice at one time or the other!!!!

  2. Thank you for all this info… I plan to try it all BUT does it matter if it is “white” OR “cider” vinegar? Please specify. Thank you

  3. I put 1/4cup of baking soda and 1/4cup white vinegar along with soap in the nastiest loads and it stops stains, ring around the collars.

    1. Do you put it right in the drum with with clothes? I have a front loader or do you put it in the slot with the detergent?

    2. I have a front load also I would put it in where you put the detergent. I’m not sure but I don’t think you are to put it inside the door. Just my opinion.

  4. I use white vinegar in my washer all the time. It doesn’t clog up inside my washer like fabric softener does!! My clothes smell great too!!

  5. Mom used vinegar for laundry, cleaning (it disinfects) Also as a prince for our hai…soft and shiny! The s.ell to me is a clean onea d is gone quickly.❤️ I use it nearly every day also! Thanks Mom

  6. My Nanna taught me this trick many years ago and I have been doing it most of my adult life. Works a charm. Great for everything from pet blankets to your delicates.

    1. I have been using it off and on for the last 9 years. Where we live now clothes had an odd smell after washing and the water turns clothes a dull white, So since I use white vinegar it has helped big time

    2. That’s what I was wondering about. Some of the clothes that are delicates that you watch with wool light would seem to need a different type of cleaning than regular clothes.

  7. Be careful of using vinegar consistently in your washing machines! It can cause damage to the sealants in your machine, thus causing the machine to need repairs sooner than normal. There’s lots of information on the acidity of vinegar & how it’s not safe for washing machines. 

    1. Perry Provence

      My mom was a starch beleiver in vinegar around households for all types of things . Here in the last few days have been cleaning and boxing old memorabilia from the past . And found the old vinegar handbook that was given to my mom by  one of my sisters way back in 1994 .  My mom used way before then for kinds of things . 

  8. Deborha Graham

    I love these vinager hacks for laundry looking forward to laundry day!!
    Who says that? No one ever!!

  9. I also add some soluble eucalyptus oil , about half a cap from the bottle in with the white vinegar, and washing liquid , makes the clothes smell fresh and look brighter

  10. I have used vinegar for several years as a fabric softener. I put it in one of those downey fabric softener balls. I will have to try just pouring it in during the wash cycle.

    1. I add 1cup diluted with 1 litre of water with the load before starting the wash. Excellent and inexpensive. I use clear spirit vinegar.

  11. Been using vinegar in my bath towels  for years, makes them softer and gets rid of the musty smell  they get.

    1. yes white as in clear vinegar not the reddish apple cider vineger the clothes come out smelling fresh not vinegary smelling at all

    1. Thank you for confirming the value of vinegar, I will definitely make it part of my washing routine.